Levee tipped to avert Charleville flood

Murweh Mayor Mark O'Brien says the Warrego River in Queensland's south-west is not expected to pose any flooding threat to homes in Charleville.

Roads to the town from Augathella and Quilpie are closed this morning due to flooding and outlying properties are isolated by floodwaters.

The weather bureau says the river at Charleville is expected to rise to about six metres today and into tomorrow, with a forecast peak of just over six metres.

Councillor O'Brien says the levee will protect property but emergency food drops to isolated properties will be necessary.

"Six metres is about the base of the levee, so it will stop any water coming into town," he said.

"There are already a couple of properties that are isolated and that becomes an issue for us.

"we've already had to do an emergency medical and food drop for a property and we will keep in touch with properties that will get isolated."

The State Emergency Service (SES) at Charleville says it will continue to monitor river levels in the region but says it is not expecting any flooding to homes in the community.

SES controller Alan Pemberton says an emergency supply drop is being planned for one property, north of Augathella, which has been isolated for weeks.

"There is a helicopter being organised to drop some medical supplies and food into a property that's been isolated for up to a month at this stage," he said.

"They haven't been able to get out and they've contacted us to say they're running low on medication, so we're going to try and get that into them today."

Too wet to work

Conditions are so wet in parts of outback Queensland, stockmen and women are being moved off remote cattle stations because they cannot work.

Kurt Smith is the head stockman at Bulloo Downs Station, south-west of Thargomindah, and he says they have not been able to do any cattle work on the property since July because of rain and floodwaters.

He says he is the only staff member currently on the station.

"They've gone to work on one of the other properties to the east of Thargomindah there and they spend a lot of time over there," he said.

"If we get a dry spell here we'll be able to get them back quickly to do some work here but that hasn't been the case."

He says most people are amazed at how quickly the environment has rejuvenated after years of drought.

"August last year was a dust bowl - major dust storms and this year you can't see a speck of dust floating around," he said.

"The bridge on the property here itself over the Bulloo [River] is probably going to be under water by the end of the week, if not in the next couple of days."